Slack-take-up mechanism.



A. l. KIRSTIN.

SLACK TAKE-UP MECHANISNI.

APPLICATION man MAR.13.1916.

2 SHEETS-SHEET l.

Patented Jan. 2, 1917.

.ALFRED J. KIRSTIN, OF ESCANABA, MICHIGAN', ASSIGNOR TO A. J. KIRSTIN COMPANY, 0F ESCANABA, MICHIGAN.

SLACK-TAKE-UP MECHANISM.

Specication of Letters Patent.

Patented aan. 2, 1917.

To all 'whom t may concern Be it known that I, ALFRED J. KIRSTIN, a citizen ofthe United States, and resident of Escanaba, in the county of `Delta and State of Michigan, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Slack rIake Up Mechanisms; `and I do hereby declare that the following is a full, clear, and exact description thereof.

The present invention relates to new and useful improvements in slack take up mechanisms particularly adapted for use as stump pulling kdevices,'and ofthe type embodied in. Patents No. 1,143,713 granted to me June 22, 1,915, and No. 1,148,906 granted to me August 3, 1915.

It is the object of the present invention to improve various features of the structure of my previous applications to facilitate the operation thereof, particularly with respect to holding parts of the device in such relative position as to facilitate the initial association of or the detachment of the runner cable with the clamping heads.

A. further object resides inthe provision of an improved means-for locking the cam plates which determine the leverage expected by the mechanism in various relative positions to procure various desired leverages.

A still further object resides in the provin sion -of an actuating member for the cam plate structure which is adapted to serve also' the function of holding various parts of the mechanism in locked relation in the operation of initially associating the runnercable with or of detaching it from the clamping heads.

With the above andother objects and advantages in view, the invention resides more particularly in the novel combination, arrangement and formation of parts more particularly hereinafter described and pointed out in the appended claims.

In the drawings: Figure 1 is a side eleva-A tion of 4the improved slack take up mechanism with parts thereof broken away to more clearly disclose the structure. Fig. 2 Iis a sectional view taken 'transversely lon the line l2 2 of-Fig. l, and looking toward the inner clamping head. Fig. 3 is a longitudinal sectional view through the lever head, this view being taken on the line 3 3 of Fig. 1. Fig. .Lis a transverse sectional view through the lever head von the line 4r-4of` Fig, 1. Fig. 5 is an elevational view of the 1c orlribined cam plate wrench and locking Referringv now more particularly to the accompanying drawings, the take up mechanism comprises generally as in my previous applications, a lever head A, an inner clamping head B, adjustably pivotally connected wlth the head by links 5 and anouter clamping head C similarly connected to the lever head by links 6. The lever head comprises a pair of bars 7 having their outer ends `inwardly directed at 8 and theirjinnernends curved to form a socket 9 for carrying a handle b ar 9, the end portionof the plate serving in conjunction with suitable securing bolts 10 passed through thel said end portion to carry an intermediate bar 11. Journally passed transversely through the intermediate portions of the plates is the fulcrum shaft 12 which pivotallyl carries an anchor clevis 13 embracing the plates and the ends of the shaft are extended outwardly of the clevis and attened to lit in the hubs 14 of suitable cam plates 15, these plates being similar to the cam plates of my later patent, and provided with the shaft receiving slots 16 extended arcuately from adjacent the hubs of the plates, but in the present structure the major portion of the'peripheries of the cam plates coincide with the arc of a circle having as a center the axis of rotation of the plates and to provide for locking of the plates in desired position relative to the lever head, one of the plates is provided in its arcuate peri hery ywith a series of notches 17 and an a jacent lever head plate 7 carries a pair of lugs 18 between which is pivoted a locking dog 19 adapted to selectively engage in the notches, this dog being provided with an angular' handle portion 20 extending inwardly from adjacent its free end. Each of the plates 7 and 11 is provided with a pair of longitudinally extending slots 21, and in the presenty structure, to provide for a maximum strength of the plates and to permit the pivots of the links to move close together as 'possible to provide for a minimum leverage under the most severe working conditions, the shaft 12 is offset rearwardly from the slots.

Slidably rotatable in each series of respective slots 21 and the adjacent slots 16 ofthe cam plates are thepivot shafts 22 to each of which is pivoted the links of a respective lar Ydisposed thereon between the cam plates and the plates 7 and carrying suitable locking means such as pins 26. Thus it is noted that an exceedingly compact lever head structure is provided and that the collar 25 and the link heads 23 and 24 Afill the spaces j between lthe various plates adjacent the ,shaft whereby the strength of the structure is -materially increased. Y, v lEach of the clamping heads comprises a pair of side plates 27, whichcarry the pin- `tles 28 of oppositely projecting cam` levers 29 and betweenpwhich is held the clamping blocks 30 engageable by the cams of the leverstor clamp the runner cable 31 therebetween. The cam levers of each head are oppositely offset at their outer ends Aas in the usual manner and, to provide for adjustably connecting the respective links thereto. ln the present structure pivot pins 32' are provided which are each passed through a respective link endl and -selectively passed through one of a series of openings 33 in the lever. The levers are normally urged to a locking position by springs 34 bearing thereagainst and connected with the head in the usual manner. Thus the normalzmanipulation ofthe device by reciprocating the main lever procures successive unlocking, outward sliding and holding operations ofthe heads, and it is noted that inward movement of the .heads independently of the rest of the structure provides a non-clamping relation of parts in the head which permits the runner cable to be freely moved with-respect to the heads. To procure this relation of parts with respect to both heads at such times as it is desired, each of the heads carries a sleeve 35 Vand a rod 36 is passed through both of these sleeves and secured by the pin 37 in the sleeve of the outer head the rod being normally slidablein the sleeve of the other head. To procure inward movement of both heads, however, the rod is provided with an opening 38 adapted to receive a pin for abutment with the sleeve 35. The inner end of thisrod is adapted 'for connection with va hook-39 carried by the adjacent plate 7 and tofacilitate this connection, a clevis member 4 0 is 'pivoted to the endof the rod and has an eye member 41 adjustably passed through its bight. Thus, upon engagement ..60 of the eye member withl the hook, aclockwise rotation of the lever head will draw both of the clamping heads 3 inwardly to relieve theclamping action of the blocks 30 vwhereby the runner cable may be readily secured in placel or detached. It is noted,

however, that the tendency of the body memberwould be to rotate back to a position in which the clamping heads would be in clamping relation, and to hold the i lever;

against such movement, a hook 42 is carried lby the outer one of the links 6 and this hook is engageable by an eye 43 adjustably carried by a link bar 44, the other end of which is enlarged and provided with a wrench aperture '45 which fits over the mouth of the outer bolt 10.

lt is noted that one ofy theicam plate hubs j is as in my previous structure squared and this hub is adapted to fit the wrench aperture of the link bar whereby the said bar may serve as the wrench for. adjusting the ing a lever head, a clamping lhead, a' ful- Y 1 Crum shaft, a pivot shaft slidable in the lever headv and a link connecting'the pivot shaft and clamping head, the combination of a cam plate pivoted to the lever head and engaged vvitlrthe pivot shaft, a peripheral portion of the cam plate being curved coin'- cident with the arc of a circlerhaving the cam pivot as its center, and provided with a series ofnotches, and a pawl carried bythe lever head `and selectively, engageableY in said notches. i

A,2. In aslack take-'upvf mechanism includinga lever, clamping heads pivotally connected at spaced portions therewith and a fulcrum member on the lever, the combination of a hook carried ,by the lever at one side of thefulcrum member, a rod connected with lboth clamping heads, a clevis member having its arms-pivoted to the, end ofthe rod adjacent theI hook and aV hook engaging member passed through-the bight of the clevis member and adjustable therein.

p3. In a slack take-upV mechanism including a lever, clamping heads pivotally connected vat spacedportions therewith and-.a fulcrum member onthe lever, the combinationof a hook carriedrby the lever at one side of the fulcrum member, a rod connected with both clamping heads, means for connecting the rod with the hook, and means for preventing pivotal vmovement of the lever relative tothe clamping heads. Y

4..In a slack take-up mechanism including a lever, a fulcr-um member on the lever,

clamping heads, and links pivotally.A connecting the clamping headsto the-lever'at the sides ofthe fulcrum, ,the combination of a hook carried by the lever at one side of the fulcrum member, a vrod connected with both clamping heads, means `'for connecting the rod with the hook, .and a link adapted forsecurement to the lever and to one of the clamping head links to hold the lever against relative, movement.

5. In a slack take-np mechanism ineluding` a lever, a fnlernm member on the lever, clamping heads, links pivotally connecting said heads to the lever at the sides of the fulerum member, and a cam plate piveted to the lever and connected with the links for adjusting their pivotal connections, a hook carried by the lever at one side of the fulerum member, a rod connected with both clamping heads, and means for connecting the rod with the hook, the combination of a projeetion on the lever, a projection on one of the links, a hub carried by the cam meinber and a bar provided with a Wrench aperture at one end adapted to engage either the cam member hub or the lever proj eetion and said bar `being adapted at its other end to engage the projection of the link.

In testimony that I claim the foregoing I have hereunto set myr hand at Escanaba, in the county oi Delta and State of Michigan.

ALFRED J. KIRSTIN.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the "Commissioner of Patents, Washington, D, c. 

